State suing Texas Brine over Bayou Corne sinkhole

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Saturday, August 3 marks the one year anniversary
of the sinkhole occurrence at Bayou Corne in Assumption Parish.

Governor Bobby Jindal and Atty. General Buddy
Calwell announced that the State of Louisiana is filing suit against Texas
Brine LLC for environmental damage caused by the collapse of a salt brining
cavern operated by Texas Brine Company LLC. Occidental Chemical Company is also
named in the suit as owner of the property.

"By filing suit, we are staying committed to
holding Texas Brine accountable for the damage they've caused to Bayou Corne
and to Louisiana," said Gov. Jindal, " We have already pushed for
buyouts for affected residents and are undertaking a thorough review of all of
Texas Brine's permits in our state. This suit is just the next step in making
sure Texas Brine does the right thing and properly addresses the mess it's
caused."

According to the Governor's office, "the
Louisiana State Constitution mandates the state and its agencies protect,
conserve, and replenish" Louisiana's natural resources. Agencies such as
the Dept. of Natural Resources, Dept. of Environmental Quality will have law
suits filed on their behalf by the Attorney General's Office.

Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said, "The safety and welfare of our citizens is
the top priority. Additionally, Louisiana has expended significant financial
resources to help the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou communities receive the
assistance and protection they need. We are pursuing this lawsuit to hold the
appropriate parties responsible for this tragic event."

In March, Gov. Jindal demanded settlement offers
for residents affected by the sinkhole in Bayou Corne. Nearly two-thirds of
affected residences have expressed interest in reaching a settlement agreement
and more agreements are expected.

Governor Jindal met with Texas Brine officials in
May to conduct a complete review of the permits issued to Texas Brine in
connection with its operations of the salt cavern wells in Assumption Parish,
and also throughout the state.

According to Gov. Jindal's office, "the
review—which is ongoing—is being conducted in order to determine if Texas
Brine's current financial condition indicate that such permit(s) should be
modified, revoked and reissued, or terminated."

The Assumption Parish Police Jury reported the area west of Grand Bayou along LA 70 is no longer under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders because of the sinkhole, with the exception of a residential area near Bayou Corne.

The Assumption Parish Police Jury reported the area west of Grand Bayou along LA 70 is no longer under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders because of the sinkhole, with the exception of a residential area near Bayou Corne.